For their fifth movie together, the director Peter Berg and the star Mark Wahlberg have gone Netflix light. You could easily picture a future in which they alternate between theatrical releases like “Deepwater Horizon” and “Patriots Day,” and sequels to the breezy “Spenser Confidential.”
Indeed, this fleet-footed if disposable action comedy feels like the first installment of a franchise, complete with back story, introduction of sidekicks, and an ending that might as well scream “More to come!”
The movie bears almost no resemblance to the Ace Atkins novel “Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland” (a continuation of the Spenser series created by Parker in 1973) that is its nominal inspiration, aside from the Boston location, the main characters’ names and something or other about an abandoned dog-racing track.
Here, Spenser is a former cop who spent a few quality years in the clink for assaulting a corrupt superior, something that tells us a couple of things: He’s a decent guy with principles and his continuing good health testifies to his fighting skills — by way of confirmation, we see him casually dispatch burly inmates who attacked him.
After his release, Spenser gets dragged into a conspiracy involving dirty policemen, machete-wielding gang members and plans to build a casino on the grounds of the aforementioned track.
The perfunctory plot matters less than the scenes depicting Spenser’s relationships with his old buddy Henry (Alan Arkin); his new buddy Hawk (Winston Duke); his former girlfriend Cissy (the comedian Iliza Shlesinger); and his dog, Pearl. Those moments are Berg and Wahlberg at their loosely funny best, clearly enjoying making room for the supporting cast to strut their stuff — Duke is especially winning as a laconic gentle giant working on his MMA moves. The prospect of spending more time with this crew is not a bad one.
Spenser Confidential
Rated R for violence, language throughout and sexual content. Running time: 1 hour 51 minutes.
Source: Movies - nytimes.com
